Improvement in machines for raking and loading hay



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. WALLACE, OF CAMERON, ILLlNOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR RAKING AND LOADING HAY.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,459, dated September12%, 1859.

To au whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. WALLACE, of Cameron, county of Warren,State of Illinois, have invented an Improved Hay Baker and Loader; and ldo hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description ofits construction and, operation, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, so as toenable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention.

Figure l represents a side view, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 detached views,of parts of my improved hay raker and loader.

The main frame A 1 Z of the machine rests upon the shaft of the twodriving-wheels, J J, and is provided with a tongue, H, the front end ofwhich is to be attached to the rear of a wagon or cart by means ofconnecting-bolt M. A sled-frame, A A2, is hinged to the part A ofthemain frame at b, byy having two pivots, c, (one projecting from eachside of the upper end ofthe sled-frame,) arranged in slots d. in armsa., extending from the sides of the lower end of the part A' of the mainframe. The front portion of the sled-frame A inclines upward in linewith the inclined portion A of the main frame, while its rear part isformed into runners A2, which support the bearings of the shafts of twopairs of rolls, F F', the center lines of the shafts being arranged in aplane parallel to the bottom faces of the runners, and consequentlyparallel to the surface over which the sled passes. Another pair ofrolls, F3, have their' bearings in arms extending upward from the top ofthe part A ofthe main trame. Two bands, C C`one near each side ofthesled and main frame-pass over each set of rolls F F F, and rake-bars Dare arranged across the machine and are fastened at their ends to thehands C G. Rake-teeth G are inserted into said rake-bars so as toproject outward, and are of such length as to nearly touch the sur faceof the platform B B when, during the revolutions of the bands, therake-bars and teeth are caused to travel over said platform, which ismade of sheet-iron or similar material, andis madein two piecesone tocover the part A A' of the main frame, and the other the inclinedsled-frame A, so that the two portions form one smooth and inclinedsurface, which will stand considerable wear.

Motion is transmitted to the system of bands and rake-bars. by means ofa driving-band, E, passing over a large pulley, K, inside of one of thedriving-wheels J, and a pulley, F2, at the outer end of the shaftof thepulleys or rolls F3, at the upper end of the main frame. (See Fig. 4.)The rolls F F F3 have projections at their outer sides to keep the bandsG G in place. `The driving-band Eis crossed so as to reverse the motionof roll F2 in relation to the motion of the driving-wheels J anddrivingpulley K. By this means, when the machine is drawn along thebands G C and rakers attached to them will always move in theproperdirection to gather the hay on the ground between the sled-runners andmove it up the inclined platform B B and drop it over the upper edge ofsaid platform onto the wagon or cart below. The sled, being hinged tothe main frame, will freely pass over any inequalities of the ground orstones and other obstructions without disturbance in the operation ofthe machine. Vhenever one or both of the driving-wheels sink into holesor indentations in the soil the sled can yield upward, the pivots cmoving up in their slots d, and thus the weight of the machine can nevercome to rest on the sied frame or rear end of the machine, which wouldbe the case it' the frame of the machine wererigid instead of beinghinged. 1n thislast case, whenever the wheels happened to come across ahole or indentation in the ground, the machine would be supported infront by the tongue resting upon the cart and in rear by the sled, sothat the wheels would be supported above the ground, and wouldconsequently cease to revolve for the time being, thus stopping thewhole raking mechanism. This difficulty is obviated, however, in mymachine by means of hinging the frame as set forth, and by providing itwith the slots d.

It will he seen that in consequence ofthe above-described arrangementot' the shafts of rolls F F' the rakers, as they come around the rollsF, will pass a short time horizontally over the ground before they beginto rise, thus giving them time to gather all the hay on the groundbetween the runners of the sled.

Another great advantage of my raker and loader consists in itsbeingfastened to the cart or wagon by a single joint. In this way therear part ofthe raker can be lifted b v stumps 2. The combination of theinclined part A, with its pivot c, with the part A of the main frame andslot d, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

THOMAS J. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

-ORsoN WASTE,

U. W. BoGsToN.

